


heaven will open up

by booksindalibrary



Series: if I live on my knees [1]
Category: Noblesse (Manhwa)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Canon-Typical Violence, Death, Gen, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-25 07:16:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14373678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksindalibrary/pseuds/booksindalibrary
Summary: M-21 watched Tao and Takeo die before dying himself; he thought that was the end. Turns out, the universe had other plans: reincarnation.





	1. holding his wounds closed

**Author's Note:**

> me? starting another fic despite having WAY TOO MANY? [ fingerguns ]

M-21, with the heart of a werewolf, lived. His face grew no older and his body did not age, Frankenstein taking careful note of how easily his metabolism was maintained. By contrast, Tao and Takeo's bodies weakened far too quickly, their faces became lined and aged and their colours washed out. Within thirty years, they were dead.

M-21 watched them die. He watched them die, and regret in the form of tears blurred his vision.

Despair choked him, and blankness shrouded his vision as he tried to look at their gravestones. The weight of Frankenstein's hand on his shoulder did nothing, and he fell to his knees, losing his _grip_ on reality.

“Why hasn't my body collapsed? I'm the failed experiment.”

_This is punishment._

“Punishment for what?”

_Surviving._

“But-”

 _You were meant to die instead of M-24,_ the voice spoke gently. _That said, I have no control over what happens next._

“Happens...next?” M-21 felt sickened by it all. Distracted by the voice, he nearly missed the sensation of a cold hand over his neck, not before it tightened around him and he gagged, tried to suck in a breath.

“M-21?!” He heard voices in the distance, took note of Frankenstein's and Rai's face above him, looking down on him in worry, even as he clawed at his own throat.

A hot sensation flooded down his body, staining his clothes, and while he found himself in excruciating pain, he also felt like he was floating, up and away from the world.

Next thing he knew, he was staring down at his own face, the neck bloodied and torn, his hands – claws and all – stained red. Frankenstein was holding his wounds closed, but it was too late.

M-21 died as well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hm. these chapters are (hopefully) going to be more frequent....even if they are super short lol. the length is like this bc I don't want to overload myself (even tho I should be working on another fic??? yikes)


	2. devil's idea of punishment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, one hour later: hi

M-21 woke on in a cold room, lying on an operating table. He was staring up through a glass layer at a plain, white roof, counting the little indents that peppered the ceiling. For a moment he failed to comprehend why this was so familiar, but then it clicked.

He was in the Union?

Panic flooded through him, and the beeping of the heart monitor picked up as he twisted his head, looking for a way out of his return to hell. He caught sight of other bodies, and he blinked at them, wondering when the Union brought back the M series.

But wait, that's not possible. The M series _failed_ and were discarded. This-

But didn't he die? He died, and he remembered the blood and how his corpse looked. So what is this then?

Slowly the pieces tumbled together. He remembered the voice that told him about his apparent punishment for surviving. How he was meant to die instead of M-24, but that last part – no control? Was the voice referring to...whatever this is?

Maybe he's in hell, and this is the devil's idea of punishment. But it also could be reincarnation, if so, he has to change everything. He has to save the M series, and save Tao and Takeo (even if they _don't_ remember him).

So it's decided then, M-21 decided. He's going to be the hero.

 


	3. first order of business

Apparently, that wasn't to be. It was panning out exactly as it did in his last life. He watched the others being discarded, saw the resignation that slumped over his comrades' shoulders. On the rare occasions they mingled with each other, the familiar hush and quick glances at the doctors, in case the doctors decided they had some bone to pick with one of them.

M-21 watched his companions die, all over again.

* * *

That said, he noted the changes in the experiments. For one, the number of injections a day changed; for another, the order of their deaths were different. They were allowed to mingle when only  _fifty_ remained, instead of the meagre  _eight_ that mingled in the past life. As things stood, M-21 wondered if they'd do the same things again.

Would he remain a werewolf? He didn't think he'd worry so much about the power, but how can he save himself and the others if he can't transform?

* * *

 

Working for the Union was exhausting, and returning to it even more so. Only he and M-24 remained, M-21 bitter with the thought that he couldn't save any of them. He wanted to bring them to Frankenstein, wanted to show them Rai and meet the kids and all eat ramyeon together.

_Dammit._

Bruises flowered on his skin and faded just as quickly. Every day he tried to grow his claws, at first failing, then hissing as they grew longer and longer, retracting smoothly each time. M-24 watched him do this, almost hypnotised by the routine.

Will he need Rai's help to transform into a werewolf again? He hoped not; he needed the strength to kill Mary and Jake, and needed it to save M-24. Doing it _then_ would too late.

“M-21. Whatever you're thinking about, don't let it show.” M-24 spoke kindly, almost sympathetically. M-21 smoothed out his features. He'd forgotten that the display of _thinking_ was forbidden by the lower ranks like himself in the Union. It meant they were potentially plotting something nasty.

They kept to one side of the halls, avoiding the gaze of everyone they passed. Heading back to their own (small) quarters from Crombell's office, the bastard. More orders to fulfill, hopefully without Mary and Jake tagging along.

They passed a group, both M-21 and M-24 keeping their gaze fixed on the floor. They didn't _know_ who they were, but judging by their composure and clothing, they were high ranked.

Two of the group slowed, and one of them gave some excuse. A grunt from the leader – M-21 didn't care what it was about, so long as it didn't involve _them –_ and he picked up the pace, M-24 following suit. Footsteps were following them, the two were heading in the same direction.

_Fuck._

Dread pooled in his gut as he went through everything he might've done wrong. They haven't pissed anyone off, have they? He traded worried looks with M-24, who pulled down his cap nervously.

“M-21,” and M-21 halted at the familiar voice. His fear was washed away with exhilaration as he twisted around, careful to keep his expression neutral.

“I need to borrow you and M-24,” Tao said easily, Takeo standing a few feet away, watching them both cautiously. M-21 tensed, worried but not _overly._

(Even if they don't remember, they're still relatively good people, for assassins.)

They were lead down a series of hallways and finally entered a room with wires tangled on the floor, a series of screens glowing at all of them. The empty cans that lined the furthest wall gave away that this was likely Tao's room, the one where he based his hacking from.

Tao jumped into his chair, Takeo shutting the door behind them.

“Now,” Tao said, too cheerfully in the dark room. “First order of business: a man named Frankenstein.”

 


	4. don't want that

A beat of silence, and then M-21 gaped at him. “Who?” He asked out of sheer shock, but it came out sounding like a _question._

“Oh.” Tao and Takeo traded looks, ones M-21 knew all too well. He frowned, rubbing the spot where his scar had been – he'd avoided earning it in this life, grateful to be able to change _something_. (All was not lost.)

“M-21,” M-24 said, hushed, when he caught the hackles rising on M-21.

“He's a chairman of a certain school,” Tao said brightly.

“Dark spear,” M-21 spat out, and the room descended into silence.

“So you remember,” Takeo commented. “Does M-24-?”

“No.” M-21 looked troubled at the thought. “So, both you guys...”

“When we died, we both woke as experiments,” Tao admitted easily. “Sad as it is to say. You?”

“Same.”

“M-21?” M-24 was definitely confused, M-21 realised. How the fuck is he going to explain this?

“We're reincarnations,” Tao chirped. That'll have to do, M-21 sighed silently.

“But then who's...”

“Long story short: me, Tao and Takeo all defected at one point or another, joined Frankenstein and Rai – a noblesse, well, _the_  Noblesse – and basically proceeded to stomp all over the Union.” M-21 shrugged. “I'll tell you more later.”

“Okay,” M-24 said faintly. “Are you saying you – _remember_ this?”

“Exactly.”

“I'm glad you remember,” Tao said. “It'd be awkward if we had to kidnap you or something.”

“How'd you mean?”

Tao's eyes glinted, and M-21 knew something absurd was about to happen.

“Whatever it is, no.”

“Wha-? You want to stay here?”

“We need to wait for Rai to show up,” M-21 said, voice lowering unconsciously. “Seriously, he's the reason why any of us were accepted by Frankenstein."

“That's the thing,” Tao said, jabbing a finger at him. “All we gotta do is tell him about Rai, and where to find him.”

“We don't _know_ where,” M-21 snapped back, and M-24 nervously shifted.

“M-21, I don't think you should talk like that.”

“I live with them for thirty years, they've heard worse,” M-21 said reassuringly.

“You say it so casually,” M-24 remarked. “So long as this doesn't get us in trouble...”

“Our original plan was to kidnap you two and drag you to Korea, where we'd meet up with Boss and maybe Rai depending, before convincing you of our good intentions.”

“That sounds like a terrible plan.”

“Have much can you transform?” Takeo spoke up, Tao's mouth clamping shut.

“Claws,” he said, holding up his hands and growing them out. They slid back in and he sighed. “Not long enough,” he said remorsefully. “At this rate I'll need Rai to awaken me – but I don't want that.”

Takeo and Tao both understood what he meant, M-24 shifting in the background.

“I died?”

The trio turned to look at M-24, the pained look on M-21's face telling the story.

“As expected,” M-24 said, sighing.

“Don't say that,” M-21 argued.

“Can I ask how?”

M-21 hesitated. “Well...some children got caught up in a mess, and Jake was going to kill them...” He let the rest of the sentence hang in the air, and M-24 put the rest together. He nodded.

“So,” Tao cleared his throat, “let's fuck up the Union before we disappear, yeah? And work on levelling up M-21 as well."

 


	5. in two days

As it stood, 'fucking up the Union' took time. Tao and Takeo had to organise a way to deal with the DA-5, but according to them, Tao and Takeo were a lot stronger in this life than in the past; Tao confidently said he could deal with all three of them within a minute.

“And they don't know?”

“Nope. I'm a good actor,” Tao grinned.

M-21 made a non-committal noise. The four of them were meeting up regularly in Tao's 'office', the two members of the DA-5 mentioning wanting someone _disposable_ to help out. No one pried – no one cared, so long as Tao and Takeo didn't go overboard.

M-24 relaxed in their presence, seeing M-21 act as if he were _closer_ to them than he was to M-24. It made him feel good, to know M-21 found good people to be around after he died.

(Even if the thought of him...dying...made him feel a bit strange.)

Tao was humming as he tapped away on the keyboard, Takeo and M-21 absent (for what, M-24 didn't know), before the hacker turned sharply to look at M-24.

“I've been wanting to meet you, even in my past life,” Tao said cheerfully. “I'm glad I finally got to.”

M-24 nodded at him, uncomfortable.

“Of course, M-21 told me a lot about you, especially- ah.” Tao blinked at him, then changed course. “You'd be one intimidating guard,” he joked.

M-24 had heard they'd been guards at a school – and apparently it was the same school that students he'd kidnapped been going to? But a noble was there, or something? And the chairman was terrifying?

It hurt his head to think about it, or maybe that's because he's running low on medication. He reached into his pocket, hands shaking, to take out some of the pills, Tao watching him almost _sadly._ He ignored the look, swallowing them down.

“When we make our escape, the boss'll make enough for you,” he said quietly.

M-24 blinked at him. “Yeah.”

“So long as you know,” Tao said. He clapped his hands. “Those two are almost ready for it. We're doing this in two days.”

M-24 nodded.

 


End file.
